Abstract

This is a meta-analysis of the experimental literature of distance education (DE) comparing different instructional treatments with each other. A framework was developed around three major dimensions of DE: Student Interactivity, Student Autonomy, and Technological Functionality, and used to categorize studies for analysis. For example, Student Interactivity contained three categories of independent studies: those exploring Student-Student Interaction, Student-Teacher Interaction, and Student-Content Interaction. This allowed the effect size valences to be determined. Forty-five studies of achievement were included, yielding 107 effect sizes. There were 50 effect sizes for Interactivity, 25 effect sizes for Autonomy, and 32 effect sizes for Technological Functionality. Weighted average effects for the three dimensions were: g+ = 0.089, p < 0.05, g+ = -0.104, and g+ = 0.055, p < 0.05, respectively. All distributions were significantly heterogeneous, suggesting caution in interpretation.

Moore, M.G., & Thompson, M.M. (1990). The effects of distance learning: A summary of the literature. Research Monograph No. 2. University Park, The Pennsylvania State University, American Center for the Study of Distance Education (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED330321).

Phipps, R. & Merisotis, J. (1999). What’s the difference? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy.

Ungerleider, C. & Burns, T. (2003). A systematic review of the effectiveness and efficiency of networked ICT in education. A state of the field report to the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada and Industry Canada, 64 pages.

Zhao, Y., Lei, J., Yan, B, & Tan, S. (2004). What makes the difference? A practical analysis of research on the effectiveness of distance education. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from http://ott.educ.msu.edu/literature/report.pdf

These references have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. If you see a mistake in the references above, please contact info@learntechlib.org.